Prasat Pram, Cambodia

Address

Prasat Pram , Koh ker, Cambodia

Diety

Shiva, Vishnu

Introduction

Prasat pram is a remote temple archaeological site in northern Cambodia about 120 kilometres (75 mi) away from Siem Reap and the ancient site of Angkor. The site is about two and half hours away from Siem Reap, and guests can stay in the nearby village of Seyiong, 10 kms from the temples where there is a number of guests houses Since 1992 the site of Koh Ker is on the UNESCO tentative world heritage list. The most south sanctuary of this group is the Prasat Pram on the west side of the road. It has five towers or prasats (pram = five). Three brick towers stand in a row on the same platform. They face east. The central one is a bit taller than the others. In each of these prasats, once stood a lingam. These and the beautifully carved lintels were looted. Two prasats (faced west) are standing in front of the platform. One is built of brick and has diamond shaped holes in the upper part. This fact indicates that this tower once served as a fire sanctuary (fire cults were very important during the era of the Khmer kings). The other building is small, made of laterite and (in comparison with the brick towers) in bad condition. The bricks of small regular size are held together with an organic mortar of unknown composition. Originally the towers were covered by white stucco; remains of it can still be seen. Two of the towers are pictorially covered by roots. The five towers are surrounded by an enclosure. The collapsed entrance door (gopuram) is at the east side. Two artefacts of the Prasat Pram can be seen in the National Museum in Phnom Penh: A damaged lion statue and fragments of a standing four-armed Vishnu